


Me, the Universe, and You

by AceQueenKing



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/F, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-07
Updated: 2017-11-07
Packaged: 2019-01-21 06:16:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12451314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceQueenKing/pseuds/AceQueenKing
Summary: Martha can't save everyone. But she can saveone.- - -Chantho is lucky to be that one, tho.





	Me, the Universe, and You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ephemeralblossom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ephemeralblossom/gifts).



Chantho is dying tho.

Chantho feels it tho; the coldness in her veins drips into the coldness of space tho. Chantho closes her eyes and prepares to meet the spirits of her people, all long dead tho.

Chan a light that glitters before her, tho. Chantho watches it, her eyes relaxing as the light slowly glows brighter tho. Chantho thinks it's different than what she expected tho; Professor Yana talked about how it would feel like all the stars were coming out, that everything would just fall silent and be gone but it's not like that, not at all tho.

Chantho watches as the light blossoms into pinpricks of star-light and then bright stars, stars that almost burn her eyes tho. A woman comes out of it, but her eyes are too dim to make out more than that. For a moment, she thinks it might be her mother, but then a pleasant dark brown face stares down on her tho.

"Ch-chan Martha tho?" Chantho says, and Martha nods, placing two fingers on her neck tho.

"Save your strength," Chan Martha says, softly, and Chantho closes her eyes tho.

Chantho feels the ground shutter and move beneath her, and it makes her a bit sick, but then there's nothing, tho.

\- - -

Martha paces back and forth in a Torchwood medical station. It's bad enough that she can't save so many people, but to go back for Chantho and nearly lose her again - Martha swallows. She suits up and watches - she doesn't have the xeno-surgery experience to her name that Doctor Chantilly does - but then Chantilly looks at her and smiles, her surgical mask curling, unable to hide her big smile.

"She'll live," Chantilly says proudly, and Martha could nearly kiss her, her relief is so prominent.

Instead, she thanks her fellow doctor for the help and goes to return the Vortex Manipulator to Jack.

\- - -

Chantho has never been on a planet like Earth tho. Chan there's so many people, tho! Chantho isn't allowed above ground, not yet tho; chan Martha explains that she can't go outside, not where people are tho. Chan Martha's people do not know about aliens, not all of them, but there's so much in the underground facility that Chan can't say she minds though tho.

Chantho thinks the best room is the cafeteria tho. Chan so many things to eat tho! Chantho has never had so many flavors tho - Chantho's favorite is chocolate, tho. Chan Martha takes breaks to eat with her and always buys her a chocolate bar tho.

Chantho likes Martha a lot tho. Chantho's friend is kind, always taking time to introduce her to new things from her planet tho; chan's so much better than Yana's office, tho.

Chantho is very excited when Martha asks if Chantho will consider going outside with her tho. Chantho has to wear a helmet and paint her face and mandibles different colors tho, chan's worth the itchy make-up and bumpy helmet tho because there are so many people and places and plants and animals and Chantho has never seen anything so beautiful in her life tho!

"Chantho," Chan Martha says, smiling tho, "what do you think of Earth?"

"Chanto loves it tho!" Chantho says, smiling tho. Chantho pays for something called chips with Martha's _cahrd_ , and takes a bite tho; chan's hot and salty and she nearly weeps tho. Chan no wonder Professor Yana wanted this planet tho.

"I was thinking..." Chan Martha grabs a fry tho and Chantho watches her place it between her lips, chewing tho. Chantho thinks Martha is very lovely tho. "Would you consider moving in with me? It would get you out from headquarters and I'm far enough in the country that you won't - "

"Chan yes yes yes tho!" Chantho grabs Martha's hands in her own and squeals tho. Chantho and Martha get some weird looks from the people around them tho; Chantho doesn't care tho.

\- - -

Martha is, somehow, not surprised when the Doctor arrives at her doorstep.

He's in a foul mood, she can tell that just by looking at him. His eyes are wild, the tie askance; he pushes past her (she certainly didn't invite him in) and stares at Chantho. Chantho looks at him, eyes wide, the book she was reading forgotten in her lap.

"Martha," he says, "What have you _done_?"

"I've saved a friend," she says, and she means it. Chantho looks between them, opens her mouth. Says nothing. Thankfully doesn't comment on the blush on Martha's cheeks.

"You've messed with time," he says, "and I've had a devil of a time finding you. Or rather, believing that you could be behind this disruption." He's still staring at Chantho, Martha notices. She clenches her teeth and they both look at her; Martha flushes but says nothing. She won't apologize. She won't. She has seen too much with this man, changed too many near deaths with this man for her to be sorry now for saving another soul.

"Chantho is sorry if we made things difficult tho - "

"This doesn't concern you," he says, and Martha's hands close into fists.

"It concerns her," Martha says, irritated. "It concerns her more than me, or you, or anyone else. She has a right to _live_. She isn't harming anybody, is she?"

"Time is not a straight-forward thing, Martha. You know that better than most - "

"Look, is it really harming anyone to have her here?" Martha points toward Chantho. "Is it fair for her to be in that hellish future just because she was born there? You said it yourself that time is not necessarily a straight line. Why can't I save one good person? Wouldn't you have saved Rose from being trapped in that other dimension if you could?"

He looks at them both for a long moment, saying nothing.

Then, slowly, he nods, his Adam's apple bobbing, and walks back out of their lives, shutting the door with a soft click.

Martha doesn't relax until she hears the TARDIS' hum fading away.

* * *

"Chan Martha-tho!" Chantho gets up, as soon as the doctor leaves, and grabs Martha and holds her tight tho. Chantho has never been so scared, tho; Chantho didn't have much to lose in standing up to Professor Yana - Chantho had already lost him, tho. Chan Martha is a different person - just as smart but far kinder, a doctor who had shown her the best in creation and had stood up against her being taken from it, tho. Chantho knows Martha is better than any time lord tho.

"It's okay," Chan Martha says, smiling like the sun, tho. "I wouldn't have let him do anything to you. You're - you're important to me, Chantho."

"Chan Martha," Chantho says, then clears her throat tho; chan-words she has been holding back for so long bubble up and before Chantho can quite understand how to express it tho, Chantho presses her mouth to Martha's tho.

Chantho knows this is kissing, tho; Chantho remembers all the humans huddling together, pressing lips to one another in an expression of love, tho. Chantho wants Martha to know how much she loves her, how much she appreciates being taken to this new world, how much she wants to be with Martha tho.

Chan Martha leans into the kiss, her hand's pressing the back of Chantho's mandible in a way that makes her shiver tho.

"Chan that was amazing, tho," Chantho says, grinning, tho; Chan Martha presses another kiss to her mandible, and Chantho is happy tho.

Chantho has all her life to explore this universe, chan beautiful universe that has stars and french fries and Martha, most of all Martha tho.


End file.
